Soap Opera
by icequeen7
Summary: [Ch. 8 up!] When somebody from Starfire's past returns to Earth, jealousy emerges from the normally cool Robin. Will they finally admit how they feel about each other? Let's hope so. RobStar. Reviews appreciated!
1. Time Well Spent

AN: Hey there everyone. So here I am with my first TT fic ever. It's not my first attempt at fanfiction so it shouldn't be too bad, I hope. Anyway, feedback is highly appreciated so please R&R. PS. Slight Aftershock spoilers since this takes place AFTER that episode.  
  
Disclaimer: First of all, when you consider that there are over 2600 stories on here mine is bound to sound at least somewhat similar to another story. I just want everyone to know that this is all my original work. Secondly, I do not own Teen Titans and am no way affiliated with it. Thank you and goodnight!  
  
Soap Opera  
  
Chapter One: Time Well Spent  
  
The year was 2004 and the setting was Titan Tower. A few months had passed since the Teen Titans had defeated Slade and Terra. Of course, that meant a dramatically lower workload for the crime fighters. And, since it was summer, boredom had eventually set in.  
  
The teens had used different methods to try and fill up all the spare time. Cyborg and Beastboy had practically bought out the video game store in an attempt to outplay each other. Raven had read almost every book she had; no small feat considering her humungous shelf of books.  
  
Robin, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to do. Slade was gone. The man whom he had spent so much of the past year obsessing over was no longer in this world.  
  
So he did what any normal teenage boy would do.  
  
Watch soap operas with his female teammate.  
  
Yes, in her spare time Starfire had become quite enraptured with daytime television. It was quite a new way to view human behavior, even though she was constantly reminded by Raven and Robin that these shows did not accurately reflect normal living. And, Starfire had recruited Robin to help her translate some of the things that were going on. Reluctantly, he had agreed. For one, it meant spending more time with Starfire, and for two, it's not like he had anything better to do. He put his testosterone aside and disobeyed every rule in The Book of Real Men and watched soap operas with Starfire.  
  
=================  
  
"But Robin, I do not understand. Marilyn claims that she loves David but yet here she is being intimate with Michael!" Starfire exclaimed.  
  
"Star, I thought I explained this to you already. Marilyn really loves Michael, she's only using David in order to get his money," Robin replied.  
  
"Oh....of course. But now, why are those two men fighting?"  
  
"Okay, that's because I think that guy on the left is Darla's ex- boyfriend, and the one on the right is her current boyfriend."  
  
"Which one is the bad guy?"  
  
"Neither of them are really bad Star, they're just fighting because they think that the winner will get Darla or something like that."  
  
"Ah! So it's like the games at the carnival where you get a prize?"  
  
Robin sighed. "Sure Star, it's like the carnival."  
  
"Robin," Raven interjected from her chair in the kitchen, "it's really sad that you know more about this soap opera than Starfire does."  
  
"Thanks Raven."  
  
"Oh Raven, do not make fun of friend Robin. It is very nice of him to aid me like this," Starfire defended Robin.  
  
Raven rolled her eyes and returned to her book.  
  
"Robin, if you do not wish to watch the opera of soaps with me then you are not obligated to. You may leave if you like," Starfire said, turning to face him.  
  
"No Star, it's okay, really. I like spending time with you," Robin replied earnestly.  
  
Starfire responded with a beaming smile, a fitting reward for his compliment. The truth was, while the show was incredibly dumb, it wasn't all that bad taking two hours out of his day to spend with Starfire alone. BB, Cyborg and Raven wouldn't dare go near the TV while a soap was on. Of course, Raven would always take time out of her reading to make a snide remark about the episode. Soap operas and Raven were like tofu and Cyborg. You just don't mix the two.  
  
But nonetheless, Robin was willing to take the endless teasing from the rest of his teammates if it meant that Starfire was happy. Pride was a sacrifice he was willing to make for....well....love.  
  
Even though they had only known each other for a little over a year now (AN: How long has TT been going on for? I don't know so let's just go for a year.), Robin felt like Starfire was the closest person to him. Mind you, he had never been able to really open up to her, but he felt like she was the only person who really understood him. She didn't hold any of his past mistakes against him, nor did she ever say a bad word about him when even he hated himself.  
  
Her smile lit up the room and her laugh was infectious to him. He loved her odd way of speaking and her constant confusion about human nature. To him, Starfire was the most beautiful creature in the universe and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss those luscious...  
  
"Robin! Hello? Anybody home over there?" Beastboy interrupted his thoughts. A green hand waved in front of his face.  
  
"What? Oh, yeah, um....sorry about that. Guess I just zoned out there for a second," Robin replied.  
  
"I guess so. You were out in space dude. Anyway, you wanna challenge me in "Gallactoid Battles 7"? Cyborg's working on the stupid car again."  
  
Robin looked around to see that Starfire no longer occupied the spot next to him on the couch. He checked the clock. Her show was over and now Beastboy had the TV. The gang had worked out a schedule after an endless amount of fighting took place over the big-screen. Star would watch her soaps for two hours, BB and Cyborg had the TV for videogames for another 3 hours, and then the group would usually watch a movie or decide on something unanimously to watch.  
  
"Uh, sure."  
  
"Be prepared for the butt-kicking of the century," Beastboy teased.  
  
"Yeah, we'll see," Robin snapped back.  
  
=================  
  
Meanwhile, Starfire had gone to the kitchen to prepare herself a snack (surprisingly, nobody else wanted anything!) when suddenly she had spotted some strange lights outside of the tower. She craned her neck to try and see where they were coming from, but all she could tell was that they were coming from the sky.  
  
Hands in their defensive position, she made her way up the stairs and eventually to the roof. A green glow surrounded her as she slowly looked around for anything suspicious. Suddenly, she heard a noise from behind her. When she turned, she found the last thing she thought she would ever see up there.  
  
AN: I think that's where I'll end this one, on a little cliffy (well, if you read the summary you probably know what happens next, but still). So did you like it? Hate it? Are meh on it? Let me know please! I absolutely live off of feedback. It makes me write faster. -;;  
  
Thanks for reading! 


	2. Visitor from the Past

AN: Yay! Reviews! I be excited, yo. Thanks to all of my reviewers, I really appreciate the feedback SO much. And, as thanks to all of you, I'm going to update as quickly as possible.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for this story. And I'm not even sure I want to claim it.  
  
Chapter Two: Visitor from the Past  
  
"What was that?" Cyborg asked, wiping his face off as he came in from the garage.  
  
"It sounded like Starfire!" Robin replied. He tried to hide the panic that was overwhelming him right then. "Titans, go!"  
  
Upon the familiar battle cry of their leader, the Titans rushed to the roof of the building. However, they got there only to find....Starfire in the arms of some random guy?  
  
Huh?  
  
It took all the willpower Robin had not to go over there and yank Starfire away.  
  
Raven cleared her throat loudly to get Starfire's attention. Blushing, she turned to them and quickly increased the distance between her and the strange boy.  
  
"Friends! I wish you to meet one of my very closest Tamaran friends, Sandianmor. I hope you do not mind but I asked him to stay with us. I promise that he is harmless."  
  
"Please, it's Sandi. I am hardly ever called by my full name, except by my parents," the boy said with a friendly smile. His short, dusty blonde hair reflected his nickname and he had vibrant blue eyes to match.  
  
Beastboy introduced himself first. "Hey dude, I'm Beastboy but you can call me BB if you want." He held out his hand for a high five but Sandi just stared at it strangely.  
  
"Okay, so you don't do high fives," Beastboy said, trying to still look cool while pulling his hands away.  
  
"What is this 'high five' he speaks of?" Sandi whispered to Starfire.  
  
"Oh! It is a customary way of saying hello here on Earth. It can also be used to show celebration for a good deed," Starfire explained. It appeared that her friend knew as little about Earth as Starfire did when she first arrived. To demonstrate, she held her hand up, fingers spread.  
  
"Now, you slap it."  
  
While this explanation was going on, the Titans were huddled up, trying to figure out this new guy.  
  
"What do you think of this guy?" Robin asked. He himself was suspicious, but he didn't want to admit that quite yet.  
  
"I don't know, he seems okay," Beastboy replied with a shrug.  
  
"Yeah man, maybe we should just wait and see. He could just be here to visit Starfire."  
  
"Or he could be here for another reason," Raven argued. Soon, the three of them were quietly (they didn't want Starfire to hear) arguing over what to do about this new stranger. Robin caught words like "Paranoid," and "Stupid," along with a couple death threats from Raven before he stopped it.  
  
"Okay. Let's just do what Cy said and wait. Let's find out more about this guy first," Robin announced. His natural leadership took over again.  
  
Meanwhile, Starfire and Sandi were discussing this interesting event taking place in front of them.  
  
"What are they talking about?" Sandi asked.  
  
"Well, I would guess that they are talking about you. My friends are very suspicious of outsiders after what happened," Starfire replied with a frown.  
  
"What happened?" Sandi questioned.  
  
"It is a long story. I will tell you about it later."  
  
"I see."  
  
Just then, the huddled Titans turned back to the pair, who were looking upon them expectantly.  
  
"Um, we have made our decision and Sandi can stay with us for as long as he wishes," Robin announced. He was embarrassed that Starfire and Sandi had noticed their little spectacle.  
  
"Wonderful! I shall prepare the extra bedroom!" Starfire flew down to the house. Sandi began to follow her, but he was stopped by a row of teenagers in his way.  
  
A bit anxious, he looked around at them all and noticed suspicion on all of their faces.  
  
Robin was the first to act. He held out his hand.  
  
"I'm Robin. The leader," he said shortly. Sandi slapped his hand, figuring that a high five was in order.  
  
"I'm Cyborg."  
  
"Raven."  
  
"And I'm Beastboy. But you already know that."  
  
"And," Robin added, "if you do anything to hurt Starfire we will act on it. Understand?"  
  
Sandi gulped and nodded. "I do not wish any harm. I am only here to visit my very best friend from Tamaran."  
  
Very best friend from Tamaran. Strangely, the words hit Robin especially hard. Starfire had called him her best friend many times before, but here was this other guy claiming that he was really her best friend. And if that was true, where was Robin's place in her heart? Was he behind this guy in Starfire's mind? It broke his heart to think that may be truel. He had always taken great pride in thinking that he was the closest one to Starfire, but it had never occurred to him that she could have a friend from her old life. Sandi understood her Tamaranian customs in a way that Robin never could, no matter how hard he tried. It was a bit upsetting to him, but of course he would never show it to anyone else.  
  
"So, may I go now?" Sandi asked.  
  
"What? Oh, yeah, sure. Just....uh.... remember what I said," Robin tried to look on top of things. After Sandi had left, he turned back to his team.  
  
"I think I got the point across," he declared.  
  
Raven cocked an eyebrow at him, and her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Great job, leader."  
  
AN: Okay, so that was a bit of a boring chapter. It was a stepping stone for what's to come, just to get to know the new character, Sandi a bit. Please review! I love it so much!!!!  
  
I also love exclamation points, apparently. 


	3. The Glorthog

/b Thanks again for all of the reviews. I'm incredibly glad you guys are enjoying my story.  
  
/b I do not own TT though I wish I did.  
  
bChapter Three: The Glorthog/b  
  
Robin awoke to a rancid smell the next morning. He breathed through his mouth all the way to the kitchen, where the culprit of the odor sat on the table.  
  
He held his breath and looked into the large bowl to find a soupy substance that was a yellowish brown color. As if the smell weren't already enough, it also looked disgusting.  
  
i"What is that?/i he groaned to nobody in particular.  
  
"Oh Robin!" Starfire replied from behind him. "I see you have located our Glorthog! It is a traditional Tamaranian dish. Very delicious. Would you like some?"  
  
Grinning, she picked up the bowl and shoved it towards him, which in turn caused him to step back to avoid the smell.  
  
"No thanks Star," Robin said quickly and retreated to the living room. He wanted no part of that bowl.  
  
She shrugged. Very well, more for her and Sandi then. Where was Sandi anyway? She walked down the hallway, bowl in hand, to try and find him.  
  
iKnock. Knock./i  
  
"Sandi? Friend, are you in there? The Glorthog appears ready!" she announced outside his door with an excitement many wouldn't believe.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Sandi?" she called out once more before opening the door herself. The room was empty and disheveled. The bed was unmade and there were clothes everywhere. Some things never change, Starfire thought with a smile. He had always been a slob.  
  
Suddenly, she heard something rustle behind her. She turned to find her friend entering the room.  
  
Wearing nothing but a towel.  
  
Starfire, in her shocked state, almost dropped the bowl of mustard- colored soup. She couldn't help but notice how much her old friend had....well....grown up, for lack of a better term.  
  
iHe does look good in a towel/i, she thought, and then quickly chastised herself for thinking that way. This was her friend! And she did not feel for him what she did for another.  
  
Blushing furiously, she turned her back to him. "Forgive me. I did not know you were indisposed."  
  
He gave a lazy grin and shrugged. "Starfire, we have known each other for too long to be bashful." He then noticed the large bowl in her arms. "Is the Glorthog ready?"  
  
"Oh! Yes! The Glorthog! It is finished," she announced, turning back around but keeping her head directed at the bowl.  
  
"Great news. I will dress and then meet you downstairs for breakfast," he said. Starfire nodded but remained in her place.  
  
"Starfire? I have to change," he said again, putting emphasis on the word 'change.'  
  
"Oh! I apologize for the inconvenience," she squeaked and quickly rushed out of the room. She was still a bit shaken when she returned to the kitchen.  
  
Robin, from the table, noticed her state. "Starfire? What's wrong? You look a little flushed."  
  
"Nothing! Nothing is wrong! Everything is right," she replied, adding a smile for good measure.  
  
"I see," he drawled. "Does this have anything to do with Sandi?"  
  
"What makes you think this would have anything to do with him?" she returned the question with a question.  
  
"Uh, the fact that you just came running from his room. Did he say something to you?"  
  
"No," she said quickly. A bit too quickly. "I mean, no he didn't say or do anything. I'm just a bit out of sorts today."  
  
Starfire gave him a reassuring smile and took a deep breath. She was beginning to calm down a bit now. "Thank you for worrying Robin, but I can assure you that I am fine."  
  
As if on cue, Sandi came out of his room at that very moment.  
  
"Are you ready for breakfast Starfire?" he asked, nodding towards the bowl of Glorthog.  
  
She beamed at him. It had been so long since she had been able to share a Tamaranian meal with somebody.  
  
"Oh yes. It will be delicious!" she replied. The two sat down and began munching on their Glorthog.  
  
Robin, meanwhile, watched from the doorway. He noticed how Starfire lighted up when he came in the room and somehow he wasn't buying her story about just being "out of sorts." He wished that he could make her react like that. And he knew that he didn't like this Sandi guy. There was something about him that just rubbed him the wrong way.  
  
Finally, he turned and left the room feeling defeated. On his way to the living room he bumped into his green teammate.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled, and then tried to brush past his friend. But Beastboy wasn't letting him get away that easily.  
  
"Dude, what's the matter? You look like somebody just killed your dog!"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Oh come on. You've been moping around all morning. Wanna tell me what's wrong?"  
  
Of course he could never tell Beastboy what was really bothering him, so he made something up. "I'm just not feeling very well this morning. I think I might be coming down with something."  
  
"O-kay," BB replied skeptically. "So you're not going to tell me what's wrong. That's cool, I can deal. You know where to find me when you feel like talking."  
  
Robin felt like screaming as he watched his friend walk away. This was not a good day.  
  
========================  
  
Star had seen Robin out of the corner of her eye stand in the doorway for a few seconds before leaving the room. She wondered what he was thinking about. Not me, she thought with a sigh. On the contrary, Starfire thought about Robin endlessly. It had been a month or two ago that she realized her deepest feelings about him. She had always had a crush on him, from the moment they met, but now she was coming to the understanding that she truly loved him.  
  
And she hated it.  
  
Starfire hated keeping her feelings inside her, but she also knew that she would absolutely die if she ever told him about this and he didn't reciprocate these feelings. It wasn't necessarily a fear of rejection or embarrassment, Starfire just didn't want to risk losing his friendship. She knew the awkward situation that would ensue if that ever happened. Starfire could live with just being his friend. She could probably take these feelings to the grave if she really wanted to, because the one thing she couldn't live without was their companionship.  
  
"Starfire? Is something wrong? You haven't touched your second helping of Glorthog!" Sandi asked with an incredulous air. He knew that Starfire wasn't one to turn down Glorthog.  
  
Instead of directly answering the question, she returned his inquiry with one of his own. It was something she was apparently becoming very good at today. "Sandi, tell me, what do you think of Robin?"  
  
She wanted to know what her oldest friend thought of the boy she cared for so much. His was an opinion she valued.  
  
"He seems nice enough. A bit suspicious and kind of withdrawn, but his heart seems true," Sandi replied honestly, as he took a bite of his meal.  
  
"Withdrawn," Starfire echoed sadly. "That is true. He is not one to share his thoughts much."  
  
"Tell me, why do you ask?"  
  
"Robin is my best friend here on earth. I merely wanted to know your opinion on him. You have always been a good judge of character."  
  
There was a long silence, both considering the previous events.  
  
"You care about this guy, yes?" Sandi asked suddenly.  
  
Starfire looked up, surprise evident on her face. She blushed a bit at the question and took a bite of her food, chewing and thinking at the same time. To tell him or not to tell him.  
  
Finally, she answered. "Yes, I do. More than I have ever cared about anyone."  
  
"I thought so," Sandi said with a wink. "You know....he seems very protective of you. Have you ever considered that he could feel the same about you?"  
  
Starfire shook her head furiously. "Nonsense. Robin thinks of me as his strange alien friend. Nothing more."  
  
He shrugged. "Whatever you say."  
  
/b Blah. This chapter sucks. But if you could review anyway that would mean a lot. I'd like to personally thank everyone for taking the time to read my story and review. I can't tell you how much it excites me when I find reviews in my inbox. I guess I'm just sad like that.  
  
Oh and I just figured out that you have to use, like, HTML dude! Ha. So yeah, this chapter things will actually be italicized and bolded! Gasp! 


	4. Conversations

bAN: /b I'm really sorry about the delay but I had camp, and then my internet absolutely died on me. Stupid internet. Anyway, please forgive me?   
  
/b I do not in any way, shape, or form own TT. Please don't sue moi!  
  
bChapter Four: Conversations/b  
  
Sandi had been staying at the Titan Tower for over a week now, and he couldn't help noticing how....well....strange these humans were. Much different than Tamaranians.  
  
However, he had seen nothing so strange as what he was viewing on the "television" right now.  
  
"What are they /i?" he exclaimed in disgust. "Is that female trying to suck that man's tongue out of his mouth?"  
  
Robin opened his mouth to explain but Starfire happily beat him to it. She was overjoyed at the chance to teach her friend about human culture.  
  
"What they are doing is called 'kissing.' It is a pleasurable way to show attraction to another human being," she recited as if it came right from the dictionary.  
  
"Interesting. That is perhaps the strangest way of showing affection that I have ever seen," Sandi replied. His face was still turned up in repugnance. "Have you done it?"  
  
Starfire couldn't help but blush. "No, because you are only supposed to do it if you care about somebody in a way that is more than merely friendship...."  
  
Robin couldn't help but feel a twang of hurt at that statement. She obviously didn't care about him the way he cared about her. He turned back to the soap opera on the TV, where the subject of kissing had been first brought up from.  
  
Beastboy entered the room and was at once horrified by what he saw on the TV. He slapped his hand over his eyes and emitted a loud, "EW!"  
  
The three teens turned to the odd green boy, silently gaping at the scene before them.  
  
"What?" Sandi finally asked.  
  
"Dude, iwhat are you watching???/i" he cried, still covering his eyes. "That stuff'll bmess. You. Up!/b"  
  
"Starfire, you can watch whatever you want but don't you go making my man Sandi watch this crap too," Beastboy continued, and then wordlessly grabbed Sandi's arm with his free hand and dragged him out of the room. Beastboy had taken a liking to the new Tamaranian after Sandi had taken a liking to his video games. He was still so new that Beastboy could kick his butt every time and Sandi was never a sore loser about it like Cyborg was. In fact, he seemed to enjoy losing. Beastboy would never understand that.  
  
"Come on dude, we need to go do some hardcore gaming to get that stuff out of your system!"  
  
Sandi gave Starfire a wave and a helpless expression as he was hauled from the room.  
  
With a shrug, Starfire turned back to her show and her bowl of popcorn. She grabbed a handful and popped the kernels in her mouth.  
  
After a few minutes of staring at the TV, Robin broke the silence.  
  
"Starfire, how well do you know Sandi?" he inquired.  
  
Star turned to him with a semi-surprised expression on her face. "What do you mean? He is one of my nearest friends!"  
  
"I know but....do you think he could be here for another reason?" Robin pressed.  
  
"No, he is here to visit me and that is all," Starfire replied solidly.  
  
Robin sighed. Starfire was fiercely loyal, he knew, and he would probably never be able to make her turn against Sandi.  
  
"Why?" she suddenly asked.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why are you so suspicious of Sandi?"  
  
"I'm not!"  
  
"Oh Robin, I am no fool. Don't think that I haven't seen how you have been watching him this entire week," she proclaimed. "I am not angry, I just wish to know why."  
  
Robin sighed and scratched the back of his head, wondering exactly how to reply to that.  
  
"It's just because he's a stranger to me. I don't know anything about this guy who has been staying with us for a week now."  
  
"Well I can assure you that he will bring us no harm." Her tone was one that implied that she was finished with this conversation, but Robin ignored it.  
  
"But Star...."  
  
"No! Robin, will you please just trust me on this? I think I have done enough to earn a little bit of faith from you, no?"  
  
"Star, I do trust you. I just don't trust him."  
  
Starfire huffed and crossed her arms, turning her back to him. "If that is what you think of me, then fine."  
  
He groaned. "That's not what I said and you know it Star."  
  
"Well it might have well been what you said. If you cannot trust my friends then you cannot trust me," she replied. "iHe is not Terra!/i"  
  
A long silence filled the room as both processed what had just happened.  
  
"Fine," Robin admitted. "I'm sorry. I'll stop being so suspicious of Sandi, okay?"  
  
Starfire turned to him with a small smile. "Promise?"  
  
He paused to think about whether he should promise something when he knew he would break it.  
  
"I promise," he lied. What Starfire didn't know wouldn't hurt her.  
  
She squealed and threw her arms around him. "Thank you for promising that! I did not want to be mad at you."  
  
"It's nothing Star."  
  
Later, Robin was discussing the day's happenings with the two other male Titans.  
  
"So wait, you're still going to investigate this guy after you promised Star you wouldn't?" Beastboy echoed. "Dude, that's low."  
  
"I know I shouldn't have lied to her about this, but it's for her own good. She is the most vulnerable to him because she trusts him the most," Robin rationalized.  
  
"I don't know Robin," Cyborg chirped in. "This Sandi dude has been nothing but great to us so far. What if you're wrong about him?"  
  
"If I'm wrong about him, fine, no damage done. But the real problem would be if I started trusting him and then he betrayed us. Need I remind you what happened the last time we took somebody in?"  
  
Beastboy sighed at the mention of his former crush. "Look, that was different...."  
  
"How?"  
  
Beastboy hesitated. "Fine. So they were exactly the same! But just because it happened one time doesn't mean we can go the rest of our lives not trusting any outsider!"  
  
"He's got a point, for once, Robin," Cyborg added.  
  
Robin was quiet for awhile.  
  
"Look guys," he whispered. "Just support me on this one, okay? I've just got a feeling."  
  
The two other Titans looked at each other, then Robin, then back to each other. Finally, Beastboy sighed in resignation.  
  
"Fine. But if you're wrong about this...."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
Starfire took a deep breath, and then pounded on Raven's door. "Friend Raven! I wish to have a girlish talk with you!"  
  
It was a good five minutes before Raven even acknowledged her presence.  
  
"Starfire? Is that you?"  
  
"Yes, may I enter?"  
  
Raven sighed. "Fine. Come in."  
  
The door swung open to reveal a very confused looking Starfire.  
  
"What's wrong?" Raven asked, her monotonous voice showing no concern.  
  
Starfire shifted around anxiously, remaining silent.  
  
"Well....?"  
  
"Raven, I wish to tell you something that I have told only one other person about."  
  
"Okay," Raven raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. She didn't know why she was picked to be the recipient of this news, but the privilege made her feel good.  
  
"You see....there is this certain boy," Starfire drawled. "And I really like him...."  
  
Raven raised her hand as a signal to stop. "Say no more. Are we talking about Robin here?"  
  
Starfire's eyes widened in surprise. "Why yes. How did you know?"  
  
"First of all, I'm an empath, and I know the way you feel around him. Second of all, you aren't very subtle."  
  
"I see," Starfire replied. Now she was unsure how to go on with this, since Raven already knew about it.  
  
"Let me guess. You want to know what to do about these feelings?" Raven declared, in more of a statement than a question.  
  
"You are correct again," Starfire replied glumly, taking a seat at the foot of Raven's bed.  
  
"Okay," Raven sighed, and sat down across from her. "Not that I'm the expert on love or anything, but it seems to me that Robin feels the same way you do. So you should just swallow your fears and tell him."  
  
"Has he told you of these feelings?" Starfire asked excitedly.  
  
Raven hesitated. "Well....no."  
  
Starfire's face fell. "Then how do you know?"  
  
Raven paused to choose her words correctly. "Starfire, sometimes you just /i. And with you and Robin, I know. The way he acts around you, looks at you, does things for you, they all are very telling in his feelings for you."  
  
"Truly?"  
  
Raven nodded. "Now, if that's all you wanted..."  
  
Starfire took the hint. "Yes, I will leave you to your meditation."  
  
She left the room with mixed feelings. Raven was her closest friend on the team (besides Robin) and she trusted her more than anything, but she didn't know how to interpret what she had just said. Did this mean she should 'go for it' and tell Robin how she feels? Starfire wasn't sure. How would she go about figuring out what to do?  
  
After walking around a little bit more, she finally came up with an idea.  
  
She would consult the opera of soaps!  
  
/b Hehehehe. I have such a good idea for what to do in the next couple of chapters. I'm so excited right now. Eeee.  
  
PS. Reviews? Much appreciated. kisses reviewers' feet 


	5. The Last Straw

**AN:** Yeah, okay, I don't know what's going on with my bold/italicize tags but whatever. Sorry if they were distracting. I would, once again, like to thank all of my reviewers. You are much loved. sends presents to reviewers

**Disclaimer:** No, I have not acquired Teen Titans in my 5 days between updates. Don't worry.

**Chapter Five: **The Last Straw

It had taken Starfire hours of tape-watching and research, but she had finally come up with a plan to "woo" Robin. The opera of soaps had been very informative with ways to let another know of your feelings, and it had presented a few, very interesting options of doing so.

Option A, it seemed, was to get into an argument that would finally result in one telling another that they fought with them constantly because they loved them. Starfire quickly disregarded this option. She could never pick a fight with Robin.

Option B was to skip all kinds of talk and just begin making out with the other person. Usually the plan worked, but even so, Starfire cancelled out this option too. The possibility of complete humiliation was too risky.

Option C was one where the two people would be stuck in some kind of dangerous situation, or locked in an enclosed space for a long time. These circumstances usually led to professions of love for one another, since the two didn't want to die without telling the other about their feelings. Star kind of laughed when she saw this option. Robin and she had been in life-or-death situations way too many times. It wouldn't even faze him.

So, Starfire settled with the tried and true, clichéd as all get-out, Option D. This final option was merely to go up to the other person, put your heart completely on the line, and confess your feelings. Of course, Star also noted, it helped if you looked beautiful while doing so.

With that, Starfire gave an anxious sigh and traveled to the bathroom to make herself over. She opened a couple drawers and dug through a lot of products ("Hey, I was wondering where my communicator went!") before she finally found the little make-up she owned. There wasn't much need for cosmetics when you were fighting crime. It's not like villains cared what color eye shadow you were wearing. However, Starfire had purchased some when she went to the junior prom to spy on Kitty and now she was grateful she had it.

She was careful to lock the door (the last thing she needed was Raven walking in on her, the teasing would never stop) before she began her task. She was also thankful that she had done this before, remembering the fiasco that occurred the first time she tried make-up. It had taken her 20 minutes just to figure out what the mascara was used for.

Starfire applied some mascara to up upper lashes before lightly adding some eyeliner. Then she brushed on a sparkly, neutral shade of eye shadow to her lids. She applied a light powder before finishing it off with a clear gloss. 'Perfect,' she thought. Not overly done, but just enough. She sprayed on some perfume and combed her hair before leaving the bathroom.

Finally, she opened her "normal clothes" drawer. Starfire was surprised there weren't cobwebs growing on it, considering how little it was used. The last time she had worn anything but her uniform was... Starfire strained her memory. When _was_ the last time she had worn normal clothes?

Shrugging, she pulled on a white, cotton skirt and a pink baby tee and stepped into some white sandals. She did a quick twirl in front of the mirror to make sure she looked perfect for the moment.

"This is going to be great," she announced excitedly.

Knock.

Robin looked over at the door, debating whether or not to grant access. Finally, he gave in.

"Come in."

"Robin?"

In surprise, Robin looked up at his visitor.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen Starfire?" Sandi asked. He was standing, a bit nervously I might add, in Robin's doorway.

"No," Robin answered, and then stared at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I haven't seen her all day and was wishing to talk to her," Sandi replied.

Robin paused, and then stood up. "Sandi, can I ask you something?" He walked over to the Tamaranian.

"I suppose."

"Good," Robin paused again. "Why are you really here?"

Sandi groaned at the question that he had only been asked everyday he was here.

"I have told you this many times. I am here to visit Starfire. She is my best friend, and I have missed her."

"I know that's what you keep saying, but you know, I really just don't believe you," Robin hissed. He was practically two inches from Sandi at this point.

"Fine. Don't believe me. I really do not care what you think," Sandi replied, just as icily.

"Well you should. I'm the leader of this team, and I can kick you out of here."

"Starfire would never let you do that."

"Starfire doesn't have to know." Sandi glared at Robin.

"Is that a threat?"

"It can be." Sandi raised his voice.

"It's not in your best interest to threaten me, Earthling," Sandi growled. Robin noticed that his blue eyes were glowing intensely, similar to how Starfire's would.

"I think it's you who should be afraid," Robin whispered, looking him directly in the eye. "In fact, if I were you I would just leave right now to avoid any conflict."

Sandi took a step back, but not to leave. His hands began glowing blue. "If it's a fight you want..."

Robin leaped back as well, pulling out his staff to fight. "Bring it on."

With a howl of battle cry, Sandi began barraging Robin with blue fire bolts. Deftly, Robin deflected the fire bolts with his staff, but one hit by his foot and the floor of the room exploded, sending Robin flying backwards.

As this was happening, Starfire was making her way down the hallway towards Robin's room, humming a Tamaranian song of happiness. However, she stopped short when she saw a blue glow coming from Robin's room and then heard an explosion. Quickly, she flew to the room and was shocked by what she saw.

The room was in complete disarray. Half of the floor was gone as was a good part of the ceiling. Every piece of furniture was out of place and the walls were smashed. Starfire then saw Robin standing at one side of the room and Sandi on another.

It all made sense then. Every thought of her plan flying out the window, Starfire flew to the middle of the room and held out her arms. Her eyes were glowing in both anger and fright.

"Friends! Stop this right at once!"

"Starfire, get out of here, I don't want you getting hurt," Robin shouted back. He then did a double take at her appearance. What the...?

"Starfire?" His eyes raked over her body.

Starfire looked down at herself sadly. "Never mind what I look like! You two must stop right now!"

"Sorry Star, but we have to finish this," Sandi interjected. His eyes were still glowing, and his hands were up in preparation to battle.

"No! No you must not! I will not let you!" Tears were forming in her eyes but she kept on a brave face.

"If you two want to fight each other you will have to go through me first."

Both boys dropped their hands and relaxed their bodies.

"Starfire..." Robin trailed off.

She looked to her two best friends and when she noticed the two had dropped their defenses she thought of an idea to finally get them to stop.

"Forgive me," she whispered. Turning to Robin first, she blasted him with a star bolt. He fell to the ground with a thud.

"What the...?"

Sandi was cut off when she turned to him and proceeded to do the same.

Right then, the rest of the Titans had come to the room, hearing all the noise. Starfire was standing in the middle of the room, out of uniform as Sandi and Robin lay unconscious on opposite sides. The three of them stood there, mouths gaping.

Raven was the first to speak.

"What in the world is going on in here?"

**AN: **Okay, I liked this chapter. Action packed with just enough romance. Hope you liked it too! Review pwease! :gives puppy eyes:


	6. Headaches and Heartaches

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own TT. I know, what's up with that? Pssht.

**Chapter 6: Headaches and Heartaches**

Robin awoke to a sea of green and a throbbing headache. It took him a minute to realize that the green belonged to Starfire's eyes, and wasn't some kind of hallucination.

The next thing he knew there was a warm body pressed up against him and a body of orange hair in his face. He took a moment to inhale the glorious scent.

"Oh Robin!" Starfire choked out. "I am terribly happy that you are undamaged."

"What happened?" he asked groggily.

Raven interjected with the answer, "Starfire decided to take matters between you and Sandi into her own hands and blast you and Sandi to kingdom come."

Starfire sat up, much to Robin's chagrin, and blushed, her gaze falling to the floor. It was obvious that Raven's comment upset her.

Raven broke the awkward silence that had taken over the room with a sigh. "I'm going to go and get you some Advil for your head. I'll be right back."

Starfire floated off the bed. "Yes, perhaps I should leave too..."

"Wait," Robin said, tugging at the back of Starfire's shirt. "Don't go. Please?"

Concerned, Starfire slowly floated back to the bed. She had never seen Robin like this before. Vulnerable. Needy. It was almost disconcerting.

"Robin, are you sure it is just your head that is hurting?"

"No, Star, I'm fine. I want to talk to you about what happened, though..."

She cut him off. "I am truly sorry about what I did. It was a careless error that I promise I will never do again." Her eyes were glistening, but she refused to make eye contact with Robin.

"No, Starfire, I'm the one who should apologize. My feud with Sandi was stupid. I drove you to do what you did."

"It's just...I felt that if I didn't do something then you two would continue fighting as soon as I turned my back. I could not let my two dearest friends destroy each other. Do you understand?"

He nodded, taking her hand in his. "Starfire, I don't want you to feel bad about what you did. You do know what you did right?"

She nodded sullenly, staring at her hand clasped in his. And enjoying the sight.

"You knocked some sense into me," Robin objected.

A smile tugged at her lips. "I suppose."

"No, you _did._"

"It still doesn't make right what I did."

"Okay Star, you know what? You can make it up to me," Robin announced with a grin.

She looked up, intrigued. "How?"

"Stop breaking my hand?" He gestured towards his hand. Starfire, in her stress, hadn't realized that she had tightened her grip on it.

"Oh! Oh, I am sorry," she apologized profusely, pulling her hand away from his quickly.

He laughed. "Now we're even."

She smiled at him, a sight that was welcome to Robin. "You are too nice to me."

"You are too nice to everyone," Robin responded. Starfire shrugged.

"Perhaps."

"So...how's he doing?" Starfire raised a brow.

"Who?"

"Um, the other guy you blasted?"

"Oh, Sandi! Of course. He is doing well. I don't think I hit him as hard as I hit you," she said sheepishly.

"Thanks for that," Robin replied, rubbing his head. Starfire frowned.

"Is your head still in pain?"

He shrugged. It was actually killing him but he refused to admit that. "It's not that bad."

Starfire placed a hand on his forehead, running her hands through his hair as she gently caressed his head. The pain seemed to melt away as she did so.

"Well, you do have a bump, but it is not very large so I think you will be alright," she finally announced.

"That's good," he murmured, still obsessing over the fact that she was in such close proximity. _This would be the perfect time to finally tell her!_ His heart was screaming at him to just let go of all his inhibitions and trust his heart. He took a deep breath.

"Star, there's something..."

"Sorry it took me so long," Raven interrupted as she entered the room, "I could not find the Advil for the life of me. Beastboy apparently misplaced it after he hurt his foot in the last battle."

Starfire floated back up and out of the room, and just like that the close moment was over. Robin felt like screaming. His head was killing him, and now he didn't even have Starfire there to make him feel better.

"Thanks Raven," he muttered, taking the two pills and glass of water from her tray.

"No problem," she replied. "Hey Robin?"

He looked up at her. "Yeah?"

"Tell her. Sooner rather than later."

And with those cryptic words, Raven exited the room, leaving Robin with a throbbing head and an unsatisfied heart.

**AN:** sends telepathic messages REVIEW! REVIEW! Haha. Thanks for all the reviews guys. I really appreciate it. mwah


	7. Revelations

**Chapter 7: Revelations**

At first, Robin was defiant. Who was Raven to tell him what to do? She didn't know how he felt. He crossed his arms over his chest with a huff.

Soon, however, his defenses broke down. He knew she was right, knew that he should tell Starfire how he felt.

It was ironic that Raven should say that, though, considering that she had unknowingly broken the moment the first time he could work up the nerve to tell her.

His headache was beginning to finally clear and the numerous painkillers he was on were starting to kick in. His normal guards were down, and all of a sudden it seemed all too clear to him that he should tell Starfire his feelings. Robin stood up to do so.

Bad idea.

A feeling of nausea waved over him and he felt lightheaded. He was soon back down on the couch.

Okay, a slight hitch in the plan. He would have to wait until he was feeling a little bit better. With Starfire on his mind, he let himself fall into a deep slumber.

Starfire returned to the living room to check on Robin, a huge smile transfixed on her face. She wasn't naïve to what had just taken place between her and Robin, and so she let the thought creep into her mind that maybe—just maybe—Robin liked her just as much as she did him.

The thought made her blush and enlarge her already huge grin. She knew she must have looked foolish right then, but she didn't care. Starfire was enjoying these feelings way too much to be bothered by anything.

She walked up to the back of the couch. "Robin?"

Leaning over, she giggled when she found the Boy Wonder sleeping on his back, snoring softly. She brought her fingers to her lips, and then placed them on Robin's forehead.

"Sleep well, Robin."

All of a sudden, a hand fell on her shoulder, causing Starfire to leap out of her place with a gasp.

"Hey, hey, it's just me," Sandi said with an easygoing grin.

Starfire brought a hand to her heart. "I am sorry, but you frightened me!"

"I apologize for that. What are you doing?" he asked, motioning to the sleeping Robin.

"Oh, I was merely checking in on him. I am so glad that he's going to be okay," she replied, glancing towards him.

"I know you did not mean any harm Starfire. He has good strength, but he is still only human. What would kill him would hardly affect me," Sandi commented.

"I know and I should not have been so careless! I forget that not everyone has Tamaranian strength."

He rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "An easy mistake to make. Do not blame yourself." She shrugged, looking down to the floor.

"I know. I just...I do not know what I would do if anything ever were to befall him." She shuddered at the thought.

After a moment of silence, Sandi grabbed her arm gently. "Hey, could you come over here for a moment? I have something to ask you and I don't want to disturb him."

Starfire nodded, following him to the other side of the room. She turned to give one last glance back to Robin, which is why she didn't see the side table right in front of her. With a loud crash, the lamp and a picture frame fell to the floor.

"Oh! I am so careless," Starfire chastised herself, bending down to pick up the fallen objects.

Groggily, Robin opened one eye, then another, when he heard the crash. He began to sit up when he saw Sandi and Starfire over on the other side of the room in conversation. Quickly, he lay back down and focused in on the sound of their voices, an eavesdropping technique Batman had taught him years ago.

"Well, what is this question you have for me?" Starfire asked.

"Look Starfire, I understand your reasons for leaving Tamaran and I do respect them, and so this isn't easy for me to ask."

"Yes?"

"Starfire, I want you to come back to Tamaran with me. Your parents, your friends, me...we all miss you dearly. We are all willing to hear you out, and compromise on the situation."

Robin almost fell off of the couch in shock. _Go back to Tamaran? _He could not let this happen. He was ready to get up and stop all of this nonsense when he heard Starfire speak.

Starfire shook her head furiously. She could not believe this was happening. "I cannot believe that you, one of my dearest friends, could ask such a question of me! You know that I can never return there." Angrily, she turned her back to him, folding her arms over her chest.

Robin inwardly cheered. So she wasn't going back.

"Starfire, I understand that you don't want to come back but we need you to," Sandi pleaded with her.

"Sandi, I believe I have explained this to you many times. I do not wish to be royalty! I want to be normal. Or at least somewhat normal. Why not Blackfire?"

"You know as well as me of her universal indiscretions. She has shamed the family. There is no way she could ever be the queen."

_Queen?_ Robin's eyes widened in surprise. This conversation was becoming more interesting by the second.

Angrily, Starfire turned on him. "So is this why you really came? Not to visit me or be my friend, but to try to persuade me to come back to Tamaran? Did my parents put you up to this?"

Sandi looked at her hesitantly. There was no correct way to answer that question truthfully.

Starfire felt like screaming. "I knew it! I knew my parents had to have been behind this! Can they not just leave me alone? I know they do not approve of my decision to remain here on Earth but would they at least respect it?"

Robin raised an eyebrow. This was so unlike the usually sweet Starfire. He had never heard her so angry or resentful before. Why hadn't she ever mentioned her past to the team?

"Starfire, can you not think of this from their perspective?" Sandi questioned. Starfire shot him a glare. He sighed. "Fine, but would you at least _think_ about this before you make a huge decision like this?"

She once again turned her back to him, silent.

He began to walk down the hallway, but he paused and turned back. "And, be smart about this. Don't let _him_ affect this decision."

_Who's 'him'? _Robin wondered. He heard Starfire let out a long sigh before footsteps and then a door slam.

Robin sat up on the couch, rubbing his head. This had, indeed, been an interesting day.

**AN: **I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! I didn't know if it was a well-know fact that Starfire was a Tamaran princess or not, but I decided to make it a secret to the Titans anyway. Let's just go with that, k? Would really help me out.

**Disclaimer: **What, me, own Teen Titans? HA! Riiiight.


	8. Confessions and Decisions

**Chapter 8: Confessions and Decisions**

Starfire sighed and fell onto her bed. What was she going to do? When she had left Tamaran, she had sworn to herself that she would never return. However, she had no idea she would be so missed. So much so that her parents would recruit her best friend to come to Earth and bring her back.

She went over the pros in her head. If she went, she would get to see again the friends and family she left behind. While she did hate that her parents wanted her to follow in their exact footprints, she had to admit that she missed them dearly. And she did miss the Tamaran customs she was used to. Nobody here ate, or even _liked_, Tamaran food, and she knew that everybody thought that her planet's traditions were strange.

_At least there I fit in, _she thought sadly_._

But then, an image of a certain Titan floated into her head and all thoughts of leaving suddenly seemed like a distant memory. She also thought of all her friends on the team. Surely, they could not go to Tamaran with her, because they had to stay here and protect the city. She would miss them all so much, how could she leave them behind? Starfire also thought of the consequences that would take place in her homeland. Certainly, her parents would want her to fulfill her royal duties, which was the exact thing she ran away from. Starfire hated the idea of ordering around one person, much less ruling over an entire planet.

Her parents merely thought she was running away from the responsibility of it all, and while part of that may be true, Starfire knew that there was more to it.

_Or was there?_

She sighed. This was going to be a harder decision that she had first thought.

Robin wandered down the hallway as if in a daze. Would Starfire really leave them....leave him, for her home planet? She had never divulged to them the reasons why she had left in the first place, but Robin had always assumed that she was some kind of runaway. Which, he supposed, she was, but he had never guessed that she was running away from the royal family.

Well, no matter what, Robin would keep her here on Earth. With him. He had to. He would make it his mission, and Robin knew that he never failed a mission.

With that thought in mind, he trekked down to Starfire's door and knocked hard.

"Entry is granted," came the spirited voice from inside. The door opened.

He found Starfire sitting up on her bed. She gave him a usual cheerful smile, but her eyes didn't reflect this happiness.

"What brings you to my room, Robin?"

"Hey Star," he greeted her, deflecting the question. He had to decide how he was going to go about this mission. "Um, listen, can we talk?"

She seemed to perk up a bit, he noticed. "Of course!" she exclaimed, patting the side of the bed. "Come and sit."

"Look, I don't know exactly how to say this, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it," he said, ignoring her request to sit down. He rubbed his arm nervously. Starfire gave him an expectant look, but said nothing.

After a few moments of silence, he finally came out with it, "I don't want you to leave."

A look of surprise washed over her face as her eyes grew about 3 sizes. "W-w-what?" she stammered.

"I don't want you to go back to Tamaran," he repeated solidly. There. He'd said it. Now it was completely up to her.

"How-how do you know about that?" she asked, still looking a bit astounded.

"I overheard you and Sandi talking."

"You were sleeping."

"Not exactly...."

Starfire sighed and hugged herself. The surprise of him knowing was beginning to wear off and replacing it were a number of emotions. Flattery that he wanted her to stay. Confusion, because her decision had just become all the harder. And a small part of her was also angry that he had been listening to her private conversation in the first place.

But only a small part.

"Robin....you must understand," she finally began. "This decision, it is not an easy one for me to make. At first, I was like you; completely against going back there. However, I have been thinking over this for a long time now and I have realized that my decision affects a lot more people than just me. Because of this, I really must choose the decision that is best for everybody involved."

Robin stared down at the floor. Not exactly the answer he was going for when he had gone over this conversation in his head.

"Do you know which one that is yet?"

She groaned and fell back onto the bed. "No. Oh Robin, I am so torn. I do not want to leave you and the Titans, but however I have the planet of Tamaran to think about too. And the people of my planet are very important to me. I would never want to leave here but...."

She trailed off, not willing to say what she was actually thinking.

Inwardly, Robin was panicking. This was not going well for him. He couldn't let Starfire leave. There was no way that he was going to fail this plan. He _never _failed, and he wasn't about to start now.

But how would he get her to stay? What could he do to make her decide that Earth was the best place for her to stay? He didn't know what he would do with himself if she decided to go. A lump was beginning to form in his throat at the mere thought.

"Star-Starfire?" he choked out.

She looked up at him. "Yes?"

"Listen. You can't go, because you.....you just can't. This team....we need you. It wouldn't be the same without you," Robin confessed.

"Nonsense Robin, I'm sure that the team...."

"No," he cut her off quickly. "No, Star, the team wouldn't be the same, because I wouldn't be the same. I....don't know what I would do with myself if you left me here."

He hesitated and she remained silent, trying to consume all of this information as best she could.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that—"

He paused, looking around for some sort of interruption. One of the Titans would enter, or the alarm would go off, or something would explode.

Nothing did, and so with a deep breath he continued on.

"Iloveyou."

If Starfire thought she'd been shocked before, well, that was nothing. She was floored by the news she'd just received.

_He what? Loves me? But....how? _

Noticing the silence, Robin shifted awkwardly. Again, not the response he was going for.

"Well. Okay then. Now that I've spilled my heart to you, I'm just going to be going now," he said, pointing to the door as he slowly backed away.

Starfire began to snap out of her trance.

_Wait, leave? Why is he leaving? Did I do something wrong? Perhaps I should say something._

"Robin," she called out. He stopped and looked straight at her. Well, this was it. She either hated him or loved him. The 50/50 odds were scary.

"Come here," she instead requested. Robin slowly took a few steps towards the bed, until he was right at her side.

She stood up so that she could be at eye level with him. Gently, she brought a hand to his face.

"Can I....remove this?" she asked, touching the mask that hid more than just his eyes.

His mask. He had almost forgotten he was wearing it. He swallowed and nodded; his voice ineffective at the moment.

Delicately, she pulled up the white material to reveal two stormy blue eyes. She smiled at him, and finally she let those three words sink in. _He loves me._ The feelings that overcame her were inexplicable. Her heart felt like it was engulfed by a sea of happiness and a huge grin overtook her face. Starfire felt like she was capable of anything at that very moment. Like she could save the world with one hand tied behind her back. Instead, she settled on just reciprocating the feeling.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

Robin was first overwhelmed by a huge sense of relief, and that was followed by extreme joy. He did the only thing that was left to do, and that was to lean in and bring his lips to hers.

She responded to the kiss almost immediately, running her hands through his ebony locks and opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Starfire was the first to pull away, and a deep blush colored her cheeks.

"Wow, that is so much better than it looks," she stated.

He grinned at her. "Yeah, I agree."

She gave him a sideways glance. "Perhaps we should do it again?" she asked innocently. He laughed.

"Well, if you insist...."

AN: And a gratuitous make-out scene that I don't feel like describing ensues. LOL. Imagine amongst yourselves.

But hey, they finally told each other! Yay! :does happy dance:


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